The stock market kicked off the trading week on a positive note, with all major indices clocking in gains, as investors brushed off President Donald Trump’s latest imposition of hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum products from Canada and Mexico.
The Dow Jones rose 0.38 percent, the S&P 500 grew 0.67 percent, while the Nasdaq rallied 0.98 percent.
Ten companies mirrored a broader market optimism amid a series of positive catalysts sparking buying appetite.
In this article, we will take a look at which companies led the charge and explore the reasons behind their performance.
To come up with Monday’s best performers, we considered only the stocks with at least $2 billion in market capitalization and $5 million in daily trading volume.
Stock market charts. Photo by Kaboompics.com on Pexels
10. Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR)
Aurora Innovation rose for a second day on Monday, adding 8.33 percent to its valuation to close at $7.80 apiece as investors repositioned their portfolios ahead of its earnings announcement on February 12.
For the fourth quarter of 2024, analysts project AUR to post between 11 to 12 cents loss per share, an improvement from the 13 cents loss per share registered in the same period a year earlier.
For full year 2024, analysts expect the company to register between 44 and 47 cents loss per share.
Meanwhile, investors will be looking out for any cues on the company’s much-awaited Aurora Driver, which it plans to launch in Texas in April 2025. The Aurora Driver, enabled by Verifiable AI, quickly adapts to new operating domains while being validated through Aurora’s Safety Case. It is equipped with a powerful computer and sensors, including lidar, radar, and cameras, enabling it to safely operate at highway speeds.
9. GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME)
GameStop shares rallied by 9.66 percent on Monday to finish at $27.12 apiece as investors reacted positively to a photo of GME CEO Ryan Cohen and Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor.
While the photo did not mention any reason why Cohen sat down with Saylor, investors were quick to speculate a brewing cryptocurrency strategy between the two companies.
It can be learned that the gaming company had already ventured into cryptocurrency in 2022 with the establishment of a now-defunct cryptocurrency wallet that sent its share prices skyrocketing for days after the launch.
Just recently, reports also surged of GME closing several stores in the US, often with little to no warning. Since 2020 alone, GME has been shutting down more than 700 stores as the COVID-19 pandemic heavily weighed on its profits, further aggravated by a shift in consumption to online sales and video game makers resorting to digital-only access to games.
8. Rocket Lab USA Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB)
Shares of Rocket Lab jumped by 11.64 percent on Monday to end at $30.60 apiece following news that it would launch a satellite on a dedicated Electron mission for BlackSky on February 18.
The mission, named “Fasten Your Seatbelts” will launch from RKLB’s private orbital launch site, Complex 1 in New Zealand.
The mission will launch the first Gen-3 satellite in BlackSky’s mid-inclination, Earth-imaging constellation to a circular 470-kilometer orbit. It would be the ninth launch for BlackSky since 2019, making RKLB the most prolific launch provider for BlackSky’s constellation to date.
The mission will bring the total number of satellites delivered to space by RKLB to 210 and follow a record year of 16 successful launches in 2024.
“Fasten Your Space Belts” will be RKLB’s second mission of 2025 and its 60th Electron launch overall.
7. Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLY)
Shares of Mobileye grew 11.82 percent on Monday to end at $17.97 apiece as investors cheered news of Lyft’s launching of autonomous robotaxis powered by MBLY as soon as 2026.
Marubeni, a Japanese conglomerate with experience managing fleets, will own and finance the MBLY-equipped vehicles that will show up on Lyft’s ride-hailing app.
According to Lyft executive vice president Jeremy Bird, the company plans to ramp up the release of thousands of vehicles across multiple cities after the Texas debut.
In other news, MBLY also earned an upgrade from Bank of America, raising it to “neutral” from “underperform,” citing reduced downside risks and being buoyed by potential catalysts in 2025.
According to analysts, while earnings growth may take until 2027, MBLY’s upcoming contract wins could support optimistic sentiment toward the company.
6. Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR)
Archer Aviation grew its share prices by 13.08 percent on Monday to end at $10.20 apiece amid brimming hopes of the launch of its flying taxis in Abu Dhabi this year.
A report by The National quoted ACHR founder Adam Goldstein that the company was “ready to launch” this 2025.
“We’ve made great partners with Etihad, Etihad Engineering, all the partners across the entire ecosystem. So, the goal is to really start flying aircraft in Abu Dhabi this year,” Goldstein was quoted as saying.
ACHR was backed by automaker Stellantis and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala. It was among the first few companies to get the first commercially viable electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles off the ground.
ACHR’s electric aircraft, the Midnight, is expected to be the first to launch in the skies of Abu Dhabi. It was designed to carry up to four passengers and a pilot with a range of 160 kilometers.
5. VNET Group Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET)
VNET extended its winning streak for a sixth consecutive day on Monday, touching a new all-time high of $10.57 before losing some steam to finish the day just up by 15.22 percent at $10.37 apiece.
Investors appeared to have continued snapping up shares in the company over optimism about its business outlook, as it seeks to ride the booming AI industry by expanding heavily in AI.
VNET is expected to release its earnings results next month for the past quarter, where investors will be watching out for cues on its capital expenditures and allocation for 2025.
In November last year, VNET signaled to budget a higher capital this year to further support the robust demand for its wholesale services. It underscored that it would work closely with its strategic suppliers and maximize the synergies in order to ensure that its capital spending would grow at a steady pace.
At the same time, the first quarter of the year will see the delivery of approximately 191 megawatts (MW) of IT capacity from the company, as well as another 105 MW in the second and third quarters of 2025.
4. AST SpaceMobile Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS)
Shares of AST SpaceMobile increased by 17.47 percent on Monday to finish at $31.14 apiece as analysts pointed to T-Mobile’s advertisement at the Superbowl as having perked up buying appetite.
Last night’s Superbowl game showed multiple advertisements run by T-Mobile on its new offer to let anyone in the US—not just its own customers—participate in its new direct-to-cell collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink service.
While T-Mobile rose 3.89 percent on Monday, the optimism created a ripple effect in satellite companies, including ASTS.
In other news, ASTS recently secured the green light of the Federal Communications Commission that would enable the firm to test its five commercial BlueBird satellites to support voice, full data, and video applications and other native cellular broadband capabilities for mobile services giants AT&T and Verizon.
Last week, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Colin Canfield initiated an “overweight” rating on the satellite communications firm and set a price target of $30 within a year.
3. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE:CLF)
Cleveland-Cliffs surged by 17.99 percent on Monday to end at $11.84 apiece as investors cheered news of President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 25-percent tariff on steel and aluminum products.
According to analysts, funds flocked to US steel manufacturers such as CLF, which is expected to earn a boost from Trump’s protectionist stance on US firms through the imposition of hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico that could lead to lower competition and higher prices for US firms.
Lourenco Goncalves, CLF CEO, earlier expressed his support for the imposition of tariffs on imports, saying that they can make a “long-term positive impact” in making “America a manufacturing superpower once again.”
2. monday.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:MNDY)
Monday.com soared by $26.46 percent on Monday to finish at $326.58 apiece as investors gobbled up shares in the company following a stellar earnings performance and bullish outlook for 2025, with revenues expected to crack past the $1-billion level.
In a statement, MNDY said it swung to a net income of $32.37 million from a net loss of $1.877 million registered in 2023, as revenues jumped by 33.7 percent to $868 million from $649 million year-on-year.
For the fourth quarter alone, MNDY saw net income nearly doubled to $23 million from the $12 million booked in the same quarter a year earlier. Revenues increased by 31 to $237 million from $180 million.
For the first quarter of the year, MNDY expects revenues to settle between $274 million and $276 million, while for the full year, the company targets to achieve $1.208 billion to $1.221 billion in revenues.
1. SpringWorks Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:SWTX)
SpringWorks rallied by 34.06 percent on Monday, a second consecutive day, to finish at $54 apiece following news reports that it is being targeted for acquisition by German healthcare and technology group Merck.
A report by Reuters citing people privy to the matter said that Merck and SWTX are in advanced talks for a potential merger. Merck confirmed the news later in the day but underscored that while negotiations are ongoing, no legally binding agreement has been signed and that a potential deal remains uncertain.
Assuming the talks are successful, the report said that a definitive signing could occur in the next few weeks.
SWTX is a company developing several treatments for different types of cancers and tumors.
While we acknowledge the potential of SWTX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as SWTX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.
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